If you love a salty-sweet situation and you like your breakfast with a little crunch, these sweet potato and cheddar pancakes with bacon bits are your new move. They hit that perfect spot between diner-style hash browns and a proper potato pancake recipe: crisp edges, tender middle, pockets of melty cheddar, and smoky bacon tucked into every bite. I like them with a cool dollop of sour cream (or Greek yogurt) and something sharp on top, like pickled onions or a vinegary hot sauce, because sweet potato loves a little attitude.
Sweet Potato and Cheddar Pancakes with Crispy Bacon Bits (the Cozy Potato Pancake Recipe You Didn't Know You Needed)
Crispy sweet potato pancakes loaded with cheddar and bacon bits, pan-fried until golden and topped any way you like.
Prep Time 20 minutes mins
Cook Time 25 minutes mins
Total Time 45 minutes mins
Course Breakfast
Cuisine American
Box grater use the large holes for shredding sweet potato; a food processor shredding disk is faster and keeps the shreds more uniform
Large Mixing Bowl stainless steel or glass is ideal; you want enough room to toss and squeeze the mixture without flinging it everywhere
Clean kitchen towel or cheesecloth this is the secret weapon for crispness; paper towel works in a pinch but does a less thorough job of wringing out moisture
large nonstick skillet or cast-iron skillet 10-inch to 12-inch; cast iron gives the deepest crust, nonstick is the lowest stress
thin spatula a fish spatula is perfect for flipping delicate pancakes cleanly
sheet pan with wire rack (optional) use to hold pancakes warm in a 225°F oven while you finish frying; a plate lined with paper towel also works
For the bacon bits
- 4 slice thick-cut bacon chopped; swap with turkey bacon for a leaner option, or use diced smoked ham if that is what you have
For the sweet potato and cheddar pancakes
- 1½ pound sweet potato peeled; orange-fleshed sweet potato gives the best balance of sweetness and structure
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste; salt early to pull out moisture
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper freshly ground if possible
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika optional but very good with bacon; use sweet paprika if you prefer
- 2 unit large egg this is the binder; for an egg-free version, use 2 tablespoon ground flaxseed mixed with 5 tablespoon water and rested 10 minutes
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour use rice flour for extra crisp edges, or gluten-free all-purpose blend 1:1
- 1 teaspoon baking powder just enough lift to keep the centers tender, not cakey
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese shredded; white cheddar, smoked cheddar, or pepper jack all work
- 2 unit scallion thinly sliced; optional, but they add freshness
- 3 tablespoon neutral oil for frying; avocado oil, canola oil, or light olive oil works well
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter optional; add for flavor once the oil is hot so the butter does not burn
For serving (pick one vibe)
- ½ cup sour cream or greek yogurt cool and tangy is the perfect contrast to sweet potato
- 2 tablespoon chives finely sliced, or use more scallion tops
- ¼ cup pickled onions optional, but highly recommended if you like bright, punchy toppings
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup optional; a tiny drizzle leans into the sweet-salty thing
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce optional; vinegar-based hot sauce cuts the richness
Crisp the bacon and set up your station
Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until deeply browned and crisp, about 8 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer bacon to a paper towel-lined plate. Leave about 1 tablespoon bacon fat in the skillet for frying (discard extra, or save it for roasted vegetables).
If you want the pancakes all ready at once, set a 225°F oven with a sheet pan and wire rack inside. This keeps finished pancakes crisp while you fry the rest.
Shred, salt, and squeeze (this is how to make potato pancakes that actually get crispy)
Shred the sweet potato on the large holes of a box grater (or use a food processor shredding disk). Add the shreds to a large bowl and sprinkle with the kosher salt. Toss well and let sit 5 minutes. The salt pulls out liquid, which is the difference between crisp and floppy.
Transfer the salted sweet potato to a clean kitchen towel or cheesecloth. Wrap it up and squeeze hard over the sink until you get rid of as much moisture as possible. Do not be polite here; keep squeezing until the shreds feel drier and slightly more wiry. Put the squeezed sweet potato back into the bowl.
Mix the batter (keep it shaggy, not wet)
To the bowl of squeezed sweet potato, add black pepper, smoked paprika, egg, flour, baking powder, cheddar, scallion, and the crisp bacon bits. Mix with a fork or your hands until everything is evenly combined. The mixture should look lightly coated and hold together when pressed; if it feels wet and loose, sprinkle in 1 tablespoon flour and mix again.
Tip for consistency: sweet potatoes vary a lot in water content. Your goal is a mixture that forms a patty without weeping liquid. That is the whole game in any recipe for potato pancakes, whether you use sweet potato, russet, or a mix.
Fry until golden and lacy at the edges
Return the skillet (with the reserved bacon fat) to medium-high heat. Add the neutral oil. Once the oil shimmers, add the butter if using. The pan should sound lively when the mixture hits it, but not smoke aggressively.
Scoop about ¼ cup of the mixture per pancake into the skillet and press into ½-inch thick rounds. Do not crowd the pan; cook in batches. Fry until the bottoms are deep golden brown, about 4 minutes. Flip carefully and fry until the second side is equally golden and the center feels set when pressed, about 4 minutes.
Transfer pancakes to the wire rack in the warm oven (or to a paper towel-lined plate if you are eating immediately). Repeat with remaining mixture, adding a small splash of oil if the pan looks dry.
Final seasoning: taste one pancake and add a pinch more salt if needed. Cheddar and bacon vary in saltiness, so adjust at the end.
Serve
Serve hot with sour cream or Greek yogurt, chives, and pickled onions. For a breakfast potato pancakes vibe, top with a fried egg and a few shakes of hot sauce. For a sweet-salty brunch moment, add the tiniest drizzle of maple syrup.
Optional variation: mashed sweet potato pancakes easy mode
If you have leftover cooked sweet potato (roasted or mashed), you can absolutely pivot into mashed potato pancakes easy style. Use 2 cup chilled mashed sweet potato, reduce flour to ¼ cup, and add 1 extra tablespoon flour only if the batter feels sticky. You will lose some of the lacy shredded texture, but you gain speed and a softer interior.
Thick-cut pork bacon gives the best texture because the pieces stay meaty and crisp instead of disappearing. Center-cut bacon is a little leaner and still works. If you use turkey bacon, cook it until quite crisp so it does not turn chewy inside the pancakes.
Yes. Swap cheddar for smoked gouda, fontina, pepper jack, or even grated parmesan. If you skip cheese entirely, add an extra 1 tablespoon flour for structure and bump the seasoning (salt, pepper, paprika) so the pancakes still taste bold.
The usual culprit is moisture. The squeeze step is non-negotiable: wring the shredded sweet potato until it feels noticeably drier. Also make sure the oil is hot enough (you should hear an immediate sizzle) and avoid crowding the pan, which drops the temperature and steams the pancakes. These tips are basically the answer to how to make potato pancakes that get that shattery edge.
You can shred and squeeze the sweet potato up to 8 hours ahead, then keep it tightly covered in the fridge. Mix the batter right before frying for the best texture. If you fully cook them ahead, re-crisp on a wire rack in a 400°F oven for 8 minutes; the microwave makes them soft.
Yes, and it is the fastest route to mashed potato pancakes easy results (especially after a holiday meal). Use chilled mashed sweet potato so it is firm, and expect a softer, more cake-like center. If the batter feels too loose, add flour 1 tablespoon at a time until it holds together when you press it into a patty.
